The NCAA Tournament starts a week from today with the First Four, and on Thursday, CBS and Turner announced the broadcast crews for this year’s edition of March Madness.
In a change from previous years, we’ll have *ten* teams rather than eight calling the action, though only four of those crews will call games past the first two rounds, as is standard.
Once again, the trio of Jim Nantz, Grant Hill, and Bill Raftery, joined by reporter Tracy Wolfson, will call the Final Four and National Championship.
Here are the ten sets of broadcasters. Asterisks indicate the four teams that will call games past the first weekend.
- Jim Nantz / Bill Raftery / Grant Hill // Tracy Wolfson*
- Brian Anderson / Jim Jackson // Allie LaForce*
- Ian Eagle / Jim Spanarkel // Jamie Erdahl*
- Kevin Harlan / Dan Bonner // Dana Jacobson*
- Carter Blackburn / Debbie Antonelli
- Lisa Byington / Steve Smith
- Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // AJ Ross
- Spero Dedes / Brendan Haywood // Lauren Shehadi
- Tom McCarthy / Avery Johnson
- Brad Nessler / Steve Lavin // Evan Washburn
Last year, Turner and CBS announced the broadcast crews just before COVID-19 forced the tournament’s cancellation, and there are some differences this year.
- Jim Jackson replaces Chris Webber with Brian Anderson.
- Reggie Miller completely drops out of the tournament and his team with Kevin Harlan and Dan Bonner.
- John Schriffen also drops out of the tournament, leaving Carter Blackburn and Debbie Antonelli without a reporter.
- Lisa Byington moves from the sideline to a play by play role.
- Steve Smith moves from a team with Spero Dedes to a team with Byington.
- AJ Ross will work as the reporter with Andrew Catalon and Steve Lappas, replacing Lauren Shehadi.
- Shehadi will instead replace Byington as the reporter with Spero Dedes.
- Dedes’ new partner this year is Brendan Haywood, as Smith is working with Byington and Wally Szczerbiak is moving back to the studio.
- Tom McCarthy and Avery Johnson join as a brand new team
- Steve Lavin returns to his pairing with Brad Nessler.
Two First Four games will be called by Anderson’s team, and two will be called by Nessler, Lavin, and Johnson.
Once again, there will be two studios – one in Atlanta, and one in New York. Ernie Johnson will anchor the Atlanta studio coverage with analysts Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Candace Parker, and Andy Katz, while Greg Gumbel anchors New York coverage with analysts Clark Kellogg, Seth Davis, and Szczerbiak. Jon Rothstein will serve as an insider throughout the tournament, while Adam Lefkoe and Adam Zucker will provide game updates.
